For BTS, priority for new album is fun, not rankings

BTS may be at the peak of a record-breaking career, but the band says the focus of its new EP, “Love Yourself,” is having fun and being “festive” rather than topping the charts. “Literally, it’s about festivals. Setting records is important, of course, but for this album, we wanted to enjoy ourselves with fans. I think ‘Idol’ has a festive vibe as well,” said Suga during a press conference held in Seoul on Sunday to discuss the new album.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The 16-track repackaged album ove

Aug. 26, 2018

Nicki Minaj posts BTS tracks sweeping US chart

US rapper Nicki Minaj recently posted on her Instagram page a screenshot of BTS’ new album tracks sweeping the US iTunes Songs chart. (Instagram)The screenshot shows BTS’ title track, “Idol,” in first place. Fans can also see a special version of “Idol” featuring Minaj alongside the band.  (Instagram)“Congrats to (BTS) on a great new album. I’m honored to be a part of it,” Minaj wrote on her post.Since BTS released its repackaged album “Love Yourself: Answer” on Friday, its tracks are dominating

Aug. 26, 2018

BTS’ ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ rules local charts

Proving its unparalleled success in the K-pop scene once again, BTS ruled local charts with the new track “Idol” from its long-anticipated “Love Yourself: Answer” album. The song fronts the repackaged album that completes the act’s “Love Yourself” series that began last September with “Love Yourself: Her” and “Love Yourself: Tear.” It immediately topped major music charts in Korea including Melon, Mnet, Genie, Bugs, Naver and Soribada, as of Friday evening upon its release. (Big Hit Entertainmen

Aug. 24, 2018

BTS’ digital version of ‘Idol’ to feature pop star Nicki Minaj

BTS’ upcoming digital single “Idol” will feature world-class US musician Nicki Minaj. With the clock ticking toward BTS’ latest release, the act’s agency Big Hit Entertainment confirmed Friday that the award-winning singer-songwriter had joined forces with BTS for the special digital version of “Idol,” the lead track of the group’s upcoming “Love Yourself: Answer” album.  (YouTube)The special track, which will have a different vibe from the original song, will not be included in physical albums

Aug. 24, 2018

What we know so far about ‘Love Yourself: Answer’

Further details have been unveiled about new BTS album “Love Yourself: Answer,” which is to be released Friday.The group’s latest album wraps up their 2 1/2-year long “Love Yourself” series with the main message that the key to finding one’s self lies within.The repackaged album features 25 songs alongside remixes of “DNA” and “Fake Love.” (Big Hit Entertainment)Lead track “Idol” is a South African-style dance tune with elements of traditional Korean music.In a bold move, the group mixes African

Aug. 24, 2018

D-Day for BTS to drop ‘Love Yourself-Answer’

K-pop sensation BTS is set to release its new EP, “Love Yourself: Answer,” on Friday at 6 p.m. “Love Yourself: Answer” is the group’s third and final installment in the “Love Yourself” series. Previous albums “Love Yourself: Her” and “Love Yourself: Tear,” were megahits, catapulting the group to multiple Billboard music charts. (Big Hit Entertainment) (Big Hit Entertainment) (Big Hit Entertainment) (Big Hit Entertainment)The new EP is a repackaged album that brings together 18 previously release

Aug. 24, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Witness(Korea)Opened Aug.15ThrillerDirected by Cho Kyu-JangAn ordinary office worker Sang-hun (Lee Sung-min) witnesses a brutal murder of a young woman committed by Tae-ho (Kwak Si-yang) from his apartment. Sang-hun instinctively picks up the phone to report the incident to police, but reconsiders when he realizes that the murderer and he exchanged glances and decides to stay silent.The Spy Gone North (Korea)Opened Aug. 8DramaDirected by Yoon Jong-bin As North Korea pursues a nuclear program

Aug. 23, 2018

BTS embraces Korean roots in new ‘Idol’ teaser

BTS embraced its Korean roots in a new teaser clip for its song “Idol.”In the video for the upcoming repackaged album “Love Yourself: Answer,” which will be released Friday, members of the K-pop act wear traditional Korean clothing. A digitally constructed gold traditional building took center stage in the clip, with each bandmate striking a pose and walking around it. Members of BTS showcase a traditional Korean dance move. (YouTube)“Idol” is the second new track from “Love Yourself: Answer” to

Aug. 23, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘High Society’ has intriguing premise, but weak payoff

Byun Huk has a reputation for style, specifically when it comes to the mise-en-scene of his films. His latest piece is no exception, delving into the art world and playing up the visuals in this depiction of a middle-class couple striving for acceptance into “high society.”The film follows its protagonists, respected university professor Jang Tae-jun (Park Hae-il) and his wife, Oh Su-yeon (Soo Ae), an established curator at a prestigious art gallery. The upwardly mobile husband is on his way to

Aug. 23, 2018

Highlight’s Yoon Doo-joon starts mandatory military service on Friday

Singer-actor Yoon Doo-joon is set to enlist in the military on Friday, Highlight’s agency Around Us Entertainment confirmed. Yoon took an exam in the hopes of serving as a conscripted police officer, but failed to meet the requirements and was subsequently informed that Friday was his enlistment date. His bandmate Yang Yo-sup passed the exam.  (Instagram)Yoon posted a handwritten letter to fans through the agency, telling them how surprised he was and that he was very sorry to have to share the

Aug. 22, 2018

[Album review] Loona’s debut EP was worth the wait

Loona++Vlending CoIt took Loona nearly two years to release a debut EP, and it was well worth the wait. Loona’s “++,” read as “plus plus,” the band’s first EP together, is full of catchy tracks that share sonic elements in common with trendy K-pop tunes. But the album may not live up to the “grand project” label that accompanied its extensive public relations campaign and its hefty production budget of 9.9 billion won ($8.8 million). If you’re looking for an album that presents a fresh kill, you

Aug. 22, 2018

BTS album charts on Billboard list for record 13th week

K-pop stars BTS' album "Love Yourself: Tear" was listed on the Billboard chart of the 200 most popular albums for the 13th week in a row Wednesday.The latest BTS album, released in May, ranked 84th on the weekly Billboard 200 chart, according to its website, the 13th consecutive week the album has hit the list.Within two weeks of its release on May 18, the album landed atop the key Billboard chart as the first ever Korean album. BTS (Big Hit EntertainmentAlso this week, the BTS album "Love Yours

Aug. 22, 2018

TV shows target teens to boost viewership

Mainstream TV shows are seeking to attract more teenage viewers to survive in the network TV market here, after veering away from that age group in the past few years. TV shows for teenagers had been popular in the early 2000s. Big-name stars such as Go A-ra and Yoo Ah-in debuted on KBS2’s school drama “Sharp” in 2003. The broadcaster’s “School” series was a hit, too, making it to its fourth season in a run that lasted from 1999 to 2002. With the rise of cable channels and over-the-top services

Aug. 21, 2018

[Video] ‘The Great Battle’ to reenact legendary fight of Goguryeo

The ancient kingdom of Goguryeo is a source of an immense national pride for Koreans, as it once single-handedly fought off the most powerful Chinese empires. But it is also a kingdom in which period dramas are rarely set, due to a lack of knowledge and research about it.The upcoming film “The Great Battle,” directed by Kim Kwang-sik, is one that follows the desperate 88-day fight between 200,000 soldiers of the invading Tang Empire and 5,000 Goguryeo soldiers led by Gen. Yang Man-chun.“Most of

Aug. 21, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Mr. Sunshine’ offers ray of hope with mesmerizing fantasy

People say there is no point asking the “what if” question in history. But maybe, there is, if the intention is to help heal wounds of the present and instill hope for the future through creative work.“Mr. Sunshine,” a 24-episode TV drama series aired by cable channel tvN is a historical fiction that starts with the question “what if there were a ranking Korean-American at the US Legation in the Joseon period before Japan annexed Korea in 1910?”“Mr. Sunshine,” a 24-episode TV drama series starri

Aug. 21, 2018

BTOB Eun-kwang enlists Aug. 21

Boy band BTOB’s leader Eun-kwang will enlist in the army as a draft on Tuesday.Cube Entertainment, representing BTOB, said, “As the singer wants a quiet enlistment, the time and place of the enlistment will not be revealed.”On Monday midnight, Eun-kwang posted a handwritten letter on his Instagram that starts with the sentence, “Hello Melody, my love! This is BTOB’s leader Eun-kwang.”  (Instagram) (Instagram)In the letter, he calmly talked about his shaved head, and asked BTOB fans, known collec

Aug. 21, 2018

BTS releases track list for ‘Love Yourself: Answer’

With a return to the music stage set for less than a week away, BTS has released the track list for its upcoming repackaged album, “Love Yourself: Answer.”The track list shared on social media Sunday showed the new EP, the final part of the group’s “Love Yourself” series, featuring a total 25 songs. Part A, which contains 16 songs, includes seven original tracks -- “Epiphany,” “Trivia: Just Dance,” “Trivia: Love,” “Trivia: Seesaw,” “I’m Fine,” “IDOL” and “Answer: Love Myself” -- and nine previou

Aug. 20, 2018

Sunmi to release new single, ‘Warning’

Sunmi is set to make a splash in early September with a new single, “Warning.”Sunmi released a poster for the single Monday, featuring two red roses and candles with wax dripping from them. The blurred image and purple background create a seductive, mysterious atmosphere in line with the song’s concept.The new single is Sunmi’s first work in eight months. Her last single, “Heroine” -- a prequel to her massive hit single “Gashina” -- was released in January. “Warning” is the last single in the th

Aug. 20, 2018

iKon kicks off world tour with Seoul concert

K-pop act iKon kicked off its international tour with a concert in Seoul on Sunday, which marked its first solo concert in the city in over two years.The concert, held at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, captivated 10,000 fans for nearly three hours, with the band performing for almost an hour after the prescheduled performance had wrapped up.The seven-piece act showcased its hits, along with the single “Climax,” which it recorded and released in 2013 prior to its official debut. (YG Entertainment)Afte

Aug. 19, 2018

GOT7 ranks No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Tours Top 10

K-pop boy band GOT7 has made its debut on Billboard’s Hot Tours chart, ranking No. 9 on Saturday. (JYP Entertainment)According to Billboard, it is first time that GOT7 has ranked on the Hot Tours chart although it has appeared several times on other ranks including No. 1 on the World Albums chart four times and No. 2 on Social 50 chart. The group performed at The Forum in Inglewood, California,in front of some 9,600 fans. The show earned 1.4 billion won ($1.3 million), which placed GOT7 on the “

Aug. 19, 2018